UFC legend Anderson Silva badly wanted to face boxing superstar Roy Jones Jr. inside a boxing ring when both stalwart champs were at their peaks in the mid-2000s, but the UFC never allowed Silva the chance to do it.
After UFC president Dana White released Silva from his contract near the end of last year, some pundits believed Silva would finally be on his way to getting his chance to face Jones.
Make that double because Jones had just fought Mike Tyson to a draw on Triller in November 2020, and triple because Jones called out Silva on social media a few months after that.
But Silva revealed to Heavy no one from Team Jones ever actually came to him with an offer for a fight, so “The Spider” ended up taking his upcoming boxing match against Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. on June 19 instead.
“No,” Silva confirmed about not getting that call from Jones. “But maybe this is possible. Right now, my focus is only for this fight. Let’s go see the future…”
You can watch Silva chat about his upcoming boxing battle against Chavez Jr. and much more below.
Silva on Jones: “Oh My God, He’s Amazing!’
Silva remembers watching highlights of Jones via the boxing superstar’s popular DVD series back in the day that the fighter sold to fans during the late 1990s and early 2000s.
At his peak, Jones was one of the most phenomenal boxers ever seen inside a ring, and those DVDs were packed with video evidence of his brilliance.
“Oh my god, he’s amazing!” Silva said about those videos.
Of course, Silva was also one of the most fantastic fighters in the history of his sport. As dominant as Jones was during his prime years in boxing, Silva was just as special inside the Octagon under MMA rules.
So Silva’s admiration for Jones is a case of real recognizing real.
“Roy Jones is a legend. The time when Roy Jones [was] the best fighter in the world, nobody could beat him. I love Roy Jones because I’m a big fan, and I followed the career of Roy Jones, for many, many, many years…,” Silva said.
Silva did his best to make that crossover boxing bout a reality, but the Brazilian could never get the UFC’s approval for the fight.
A Missed Opportunity, and a Gained One
Silva considers the superfight against Jones a missed opportunity.
“In my mind, I think, ‘One day, maybe I’ll fight with Roy Jones.’ Because imagine it. It’s amazing. I’m a big fan, but this opportunity passed. The moment I put this opportunity on the table, the UFC [didn’t] give me the chance,” Silva said.
But life did bring Silva a different fight, and he jumped at the chance to face Chavez Jr. Silva said he was on vacation with his family in Brazil when he got that call.
Who do you favor in this upcoming boxing bout? 🤔#boxing #mma #ufc #ChavezJrSilva pic.twitter.com/KJJ0MhOFkN
— Kelsey McCarson (@kelsey_mccarson) May 27, 2021
Silva was on vacation with his family and the promoters called him and asked if he was interested in facing Chavez Jr.
“When? Where? Who?” Silva asked.
He got those details, turned off his phone for a couple of hours, and let the idea sit within him for a time until his answer finally emerged.
“I’m ready for that. Let’s go.” That was Silva’s answer.
Chavez Jr. vs. Silva will be shown live on June 19 via cable, satellite, and digital pay-per-view, starting at 9 p.m. ET. The price of the PPV is set at $39.99.
Integrated Sports Media and Joe Hand Promotions will distribute the card throughout North America via DirecTV, iN Demand, Vubiquity, DISH, SaskTel, Rogers, Shaw PPV, and via the FITE.TV website and app in the United States, Canada, and select markets worldwide.
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